Neil Gaiman to oversee FremantleMedia’s Gormenghast adaptation

Neil Gaiman is teaming up with production house FremantleMedia North America to televise to Mervyn Peake’s gothic fantasy book series, Gormenghast.

FremantleMedia secured the rights to the acclaimed novels in a fiercely contested bidding war and will work with Gaiman and Academy Award-winning writer, producer and director, Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man), who will both serve as non-writing executive producers.

Gaiman and FremantleMedia have previously worked together on the adoption of American Gods.

The Gormenghast series traces the life of Titus Groan, our hero and the 77th Earl Of Groan. The series begins with his birth and follows him throughout his complex life.

Titus is a reluctant heir to the Earldom but one who stands to inherit the miles of rambling stone and mortar that form Gormenghast Castle and its kingdom, unless the toxically charismatic, Steerpike, is able to rise above his kitchen boy station to take control of the House of Groan.

What follows in an extended fight to the death for Gormenghast itself.

“Nothing combines a dark atmosphere with humor and intrigue the way that Gormenghast does. It’s one of the most eccentric and vividly imagined universes ever created,” said Dante Di Loreto, President of Scripted Entertainment, FremantleMedia North America.

“We’re excited to continue our relationship with Neil and the producing team assembled for this project is ideal to explore the series’ perfect mix of humor, pathos and tragedy.”